Am I suffering from Werner Syndrome?

Q: I am 21 years old. Till 15 years of age I was growing fine. I was thin and young. But after that I encountered some sudden changes. Today I am broad chested, 6 feet tall and feel very lethargic and fatigued. I am low on calcium. My thumb nail has some white patches. I have pain in joints and muscles due to which I am very repulsive to do anything in my daily routine. I have become very inactive and I am also suffering from backache. My skin is very dry and hair growth is very less. I have grey hair too. I am genetically heavy. Nobody can say that I am 21 years old. At 21 one should be mentally, physically and sexually very active. But its not the case with me. I used to masturbate a lot in the past 7-8 years. I have wrinkles and dark circles under my eyes. I am ageing very fast. Am I suffering from Werner's syndrome?

A:Werner syndrome (WS) is also known as progeria and is the most common of the premature ageing disorders. It is genetic (autosomal recessive) in origin and affects the connective tissue of the body. It is a rare disorder with only about 1000 cases reported in the world with most being in Japan.You should consult a physician who will examine you and then decide appropriate investigations to delineate the underlying disorder. Please do not make a self-diagnosis.